‘I believe with my whole heart that complacency is the single biggest threat to the conservative movement in Florida,’ Garrison said.

• Florida House Republicans selected state Rep. Sam Garrison to be the House speaker after the 2026 elections.
• As Speaker-designate, Garrison will lead Republican House campaign efforts for the 2026 election cycle.
• The Fleming Island Republican is an attorney and former prosecutor who was first elected to the House in 2020.

Florida House Republicans officially selected state Rep. Sam Garrison to take the helm of the chamber as speaker for a two-year term after the 2026 elections.

The Fleming Island Republican was officially picked in a ceremony at the Capitol on Oct. 9.

In his speech, he warned his party – which comprises a supermajority in the Florida Legislature – not to rest on their laurels despite dominating for 30 years and turning the former swing state into a deeper shade of red in the last few election cycles.

“I believe with my whole heart that complacency is the single biggest threat to the conservative movement in Florida,” Garrison told the GOP members. “This is not an external danger. It is internal. Our challenge isn’t the Democrats. It’s us.”

A host of GOP dignitaries, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who is considering running to replace DeSantis next year, were in attendance.

TAMPA – Jesuit High School senior quarterback Will Griffin always idolized Florida Gator football legend Tim Tebow.

“I look up to him,” Griffin said.

However, it’s Tebow that is now looking up at Griffin, at least when it comes to the high school football record books.

What they’re saying:

“He’s definitely the once in a career type of player,” Jesuit head coach Matt Thompson said. “You don’t really get it that much. Not as a quarterback. I have not had a quarterback be as special as Will.”

In the first game of the 2025 season, Griffin surpassed the 10,000 passing yards career milestone. He is just the 10th player in high school football history in the sunshine state to ever join that club, according to MaxPreps. Tebow finished his career at Nease High School with 9,765 passing yards.

“10,000 was amazing,” Griffin said. “It is really hard to do that. I’ve got to remind myself that I go out here and play for the team. I am not playing for myself or the stats that follows. If you can have a good team around you and a great defense to get you the ball, a great offense that can score, the stats will naturally come.”

The backstory:

It certainly helps he was able to play varsity football as a seventh and eighth grader under Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Alstott at Northside Christian. Griffin makes it clear; however, he does not deserve all of the credit for hitting this mark.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the offensive line,” Griffin said. “If it wasn’t for the receivers catching my passes. If it wasn’t for the running backs running touchdowns to open up the pass. A lot of things go into it.”

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A lot of things go into his success, but Jesuit head football coach Matt Thompson says Griffin has a lot of the traits to be successful. 

“He has all of the measurables,” Thompson said. “[He has] the size, the speed, the strength and the arm strength as a quarterback. His football IQ is outstanding. He understands the game. He understands the offense. He understands the defense. He’s a total package.”

The University of Florida was impressed with those abilities and offered him a scholarship. For the kid who grew up watching the Gators on fall Saturdays, it’s a dream come true.

Going to Gainesville

“It’s just home,” Griffin said. “It felt like the right place for me to be. Very excited. I want to get there. I want to help out. I want to contribute. I want to play really badly.”

However, at this moment, Griffin just wants to soak in his last few months as a high school football player. 

“I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can because I know it’s going to end soon,” Griffin said. “I want to make sure I take in every moment.”

That’s because Griffin wants to be remembered not for his stats but for who he is as a person. 

“I want people to remember me more as a leader rather than going to Florida,” Griffin said. “I want it to be more like, ‘He was a leader. He gave everything to the team. He never quit. He never gave up.’”

Griffin will enroll early at Florida. He was the first commit for Billy Napier in the 2026 recruiting class.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Students and community members from across Northeast Florida gathered Sunday evening at Veterans Park to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed last week while speaking at Utah Valley University.

The vigil that brought out thousands was organized by student-led chapters of Turning Point USA, including groups from the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Creekside High School and St. Augustine High School.

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Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point, was known for his rallies, debates and outspoken presence on college campuses across the country.

“Somebody that inspired me, somebody who made me want to voice my own opinion and how I feel about things going around in the world and my beliefs,” Abigail Venuto said.

Gov. DeSantis condemns ‘increasing levels of political violence’ after Charlie Kirk shot at campus event in Utah

Students who talked with News4JAX said the event honored Kirk’s legacy.

“We honored his movement,” Jaden Duffey said.

Mourners lit candles and left flowers and handwritten messages at the vigil.

Duffey, former president of Creekside High School’s Turning Point USA chapter, urged unity.

“We’re in the midst of a political escalation,” he said. “Everybody needs to de-escalate and we’re not alone. We’re unified as Americans and that’s the most important thing.”

Duffey said during his time with Creekside chapter he had the chance to meet Kirk several times over breakfast.

“Someone who has accumulated millions of followers it was just stunning,” Duffey said. “Then you realize that he’s a very humble person inside.”

Duffey said he was in disbelief when he first heard the news of Kirk’s death. He said there were lots of calls and conversation leading up to Sunday’s vigil.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the vigil in a social media post earlier in the day, saying deputies would have a “large law enforcement presence” at the park and surrounding area as a precaution.

“We’ve got to calm down,” Duffey said. “We have to bring back the American way – the first amendment right, allowing people to just disagree with one another no matter how passionate it is but violence is never the option.”